UOC hierarch: If Pat. Bartholomew comes to Ukraine, he will violate canons

Bishop Sylvester of Bilogorodka. Photo: kdais.kiev.ua

The head of the Phanar will break the promise given during his consecration not to do anything on the territory of another diocese without the permission of the local bishop if he comes to Ukraine, said the rector of the Kyiv Theological Academy, Bishop Sylvester (Stoychev) of Bilogorodka in a comment to the “Pershy Nezalezhny” channel.

“According to the logic of inter-church relations and internal church relations, which is fixed in the rules of Councils, a bishop must obtain permission in order to do something or visit the diocese of another bishop,” said Vladyka Sylvester. "There is such a thing in the canon rules."

The rector of the KDAiS noted that the bishop, when ordained, makes a promise not to do anything on the territory of another bishop without this bishop giving permission.

“This is a very important part that maintains the harmony and discipline of church life,” emphasized the hierarch of the UOC.

The head of the Phanar knows these details of the church canons because he is a doctor of canon law, Bishop Sylvester noted.

“But, apparently, there are rules, and there are people for whom these rules are not written,” he suggested. “And most importantly – to prove yourself as a person with super-rights, super-abilities, super-privileges, and so on.

Therefore, of course, the visit of Patriarch Bartholomew to the territory of Ukraine will be just another way to aggravate the already difficult church and religious situation in Ukraine."

As reported, the head of Phanar said that those around him envy his privileges.

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